Father of Dutch ISIS Fighter: If My Son Slaughters Anybody, I Will Disown Him

In a February 22, 2015 TV interview, the father of a young Dutchman who joined ISIS and went to Syria to fight recounted his family's anguish at their son's decision. "I will disown a terrorist son who slaughters innocent people," he said. The interview aired on Alaan TV.

Following are excerpts:

Reporter: Muhammad Nidalha is a broken man two times over. His son Rida was originally in the mafia, but two months after meeting some extremists, he underwent a change, and left for Syria, where he joined ISIS.

Muhammad Nidalha, Father of Dutch ISIS fighter: He said to the mafia: "I won't be working with you again." They threatened to slaughter him if he stopped working with them. He was afraid, so he came to me and told me that he had a problem. I told him that I had a solution. I'd take him to my brother in Belgium. I took him there. Then he told me that he had started to go to a mosque. I said to him: Fine, no problem. He started growing a beard. I said to him: If you want to go to mosque, that's fine, but you don't go to fight in Syria. He said to me: "I won't, Papa. I want to get married and have kids." A week later, he left for Syria.

Reporter: When the son left for Syria, the family, which lives in Holland, was devastated.

Muhammad Nidalha: It's been very difficult for me. I was taken to hospital twice in an ambulance. It has been extremely stressful. It has affected his mother a lot. She can't sleep. She thinks about him 24 hours a day. It affected her more than me. Women tend to be affected more. She has a serious problem. She had to go to a psychiatrist.

Reporter: The father blames the Dutch authorities for failing to prevent his son from going to Syria.

Muhammad Nidalha: I called the Dutch intelligence services and told them that my son was in danger, and that he was on his way to Turkey. I called the police, and they said to me: "Your son is over 18, so he is free to travel." I said to them: "My son hasn't gone on vacation to Bodrum. He's gone to the war."

Reporter: Using the Internet, the father has tried time and again to persuade his son to return, but to no avail. He does not know much about what his son is doing in Syria. What he does know is that Rida is in Al-Raqqah, where ISIS has perpetrated war crimes. His message to his son in this respect is clear:

Muhammad Nidalha: If I see a video of my son slaughtering someone or something like that, I will be infuriated with him, and he will no longer be my son. I will disown a terrorist son who slaughters innocent people.

Reporter: Rida is one of about 150 young Dutch men who have gone to fight in Syria, often leaving their families in loss and despair.

[…]